Take a 'Brain Break'
By Doug Buehl,
Madison East High School teacher
Member, Wisconsin State Reading Association
May 1999
Recharging your brain may be beneficial
You are facing a couple hours of study, but it has been a long day and
you are somewhat tired. Would it be a good idea to take a nap for an hour
so you could then be more refreshed for study? Or would you learn more
if you went on with your work, and rested afterwards?
Typically, a question like this would elicit responses from students
based solely on their personal experiences. Some would say that they would
elect the nap because that works for them. Others might lobby for the
second option, that of studying before resting.
But is the answer really just a matter of personal preference and learning
style? Or are there, instead, clues from recent brain research that might
help students make more effective decisions about how to approach their
learning?
The Strategy
Last month’s column (April 1999) encouraged teachers to splice brain
facts and research into their curriculum throughout the year. Although
students tend to be resistant to the “moralizing” tone of study
skills advice, most are quite motivated to discover how their own brains
function. Classroom “brain-breaks” can dovetail with opportune
times in the curriculum to enlist students as self-experimenters who can
investigate ways to influence how their brains operate.
Step 1: Start by developing a “brain” file of articles,
newspaper clippings, and other materials that relate to ways students
can apply brain research to themselves. (Three excellent sources are listed
at the end of this article.)
Step 2: Schedule appropriate times for a “brain-break”
so students can become more familiar with their brains as well as explore
what that information may mean to them. The creation of scenarios such
as the “nap vs. study” dilemma in the introduction of this article
provide an inquiry-based method of sharing pertinent brain research with
students.
Should you nap? Students may be surprised to learn that researchers have
identified a “prior sleep effect” – people who sleep after
study recall much more than those who sleep an hour or more before study.
Don’t be afraid to provide students with a modest taste of scientific
terminology to buttress your research discussion. In our napping scenario,
the sleep hormone somatotrophin may be the culprit. Brains with high somatotrophin
levels have trouble retaining information.
Another brain-break example would be an excellent fit when guiding students
toward exam preparation. Research has consistently demonstrated that multiple
short sessions, distributed over time, lead to better long-term memory
than a single “massed” study period. Yet students are invariably
tuned into cramming as a major study strategy. After students have experienced
some of your exams, introduce the following scenario:
You know that your teacher wants you to learn information that needs
to be remembered throughout the year. Often you find that you forget much
of the material soon after an exam has passed. Which would be a better
way to organize your study: short review periods over several days or
one long and intensive review session the night before?
As students begin to prepare for the next exam, share research related
to massed vs. distributed practice:
- The networks of neurons (brain cells) that represent a memory are
very fragile at first.
- Going over a memory repeated times strengthens those networks and
reinforces to your brain that these networks are a priority.
- During sleep each evening, your brain reconstructs and streamlines
priority networks.
- In priority networks, the part of neurons called axons are coated
(myelinated), making them highly efficient and more likely to be remembered.
- Cramming allows for insufficient time for adequate network streamlining
and myelination.
The point is not to overwhelm students with an avalanche of technical
information, but to underscore that you are offering more than mere friendly
advice.
Step 3: Initiate student self-experimentation with using their
brains. For example, to model distributed practice, allot perhaps five
minutes or so of daily class time during the week to allow students to
review critical material.
One method of review also integrates brain research on the advantages
of physical activity for solidifying remembering. Organize a “fact
swap” by asking every student to select one item they predict needs
to be known for the exam. Each student writes the item on the front of
an index card and lists what they think they should know on the back.
The students then form two parallel lines, with each student facing another
as a partner. The students verbally share their cards with their partners,
swap cards, and then every student in one line shifts to the right a single
place to face a new partner. The students each share their new cards with
their new partners, swap cards again, and once more shift one place to
the right. The result is a review that covers a lot of material, sometimes
with redundancy, and includes physical movement as well.
Step 4: After the exam, ask students to reflect in their notebooks
about what they discovered in terms of their test performance. Positive
results will be much more influential in changing study behavior than
the mere dispensing of advice.
Advantages
Brain breaks provide an influential context for discussing effective
ways to upgrade learning. Also,
- Students are conditioned to perceive the cause/effect dynamic between
actions they take and results in the classroom.
- Students are encouraged to apply information about the brain to situations
they personally encounter in their learning.
Further Resources:
Educational Leadership. (1998) Themed Issue: How the Brain Learns. Vol.
56. No. 3, November. Alexandria, Va: ASCD.
Jensen, E. (1998) Teaching With The Brain In Mind. Alexandria, Va: ASCD.
Sylwester, R. (1995) A Celebration of Neurons: An Educator’s Guide
to the Human Brain. Alexandria, Va: ASCD.
Posted May 5, 1999